52 - Lunching in Style, three hotel dining rooms

THE PRINCE DE GALLES, THE SAN REGIS, and THE LANCASTER, Paris

 

The new bar at the Prince de Galles

Paris is full of intimate luxury hotels, and some of the lesser known ones increasingly hide unexpectedly fine restaurants with competitive lunchtime menus.   Here are three which I’ve sampled recently.

The Hotel Prince de Galles (named after the Prince of Wales who later became the Duke of Windsor, after abdicating his title of King of England) has been one of Paris’ smaller grand hotels since it opened in 1929 with some stunning art-déco architecture, particularly its Moroccan-style interior garden which has been classified a national treasure and consequently cannot be altered.  Winston Churchill elected residence at the "Prince" in its early years, and Elvis Presley later spent several weekends while serving in the army in Germany.

Lana (MGM photo)

  Lana Turner used to stay there, though most of the top film stars preferred the larger, better known George V which stands next door and now belongs to the Four Seasons.  Until recent years the Prince de Galles lobby boasted a sumptuous oil painting of the Hollywood star in her prime.

Early Agassi (Google)

I once had breakfast in its garden restaurant with the tennis star, Andre Agassi.  Well, not at the same table, though in fact, he talked so loudly we might as well have been.  He was in the first flush of success, and was in Paris competing in the French Open at Roland Garros Stadium.  He didn’t win that year, and it was rumored that a transatlantic rift with Barbra Streisand had distracted him.   

The Prince de Galles, now managed by the Orient Express Company, has recently reopened after a long period of renovation, and is again in pristine condition.

A particularly succelent fish dish at the Prince de Galles 

Stephanie Le Quellec, a young French chef, has taken over the hotel’s kitchens, and she is creating considerable buzz with her inventive cuisine.  We recently sampled her three-course lunch, and it was well worth the detour.

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The Hotel San Régis is more discreetly located and less well known than the mainstay  Prince de Galles.  Virtually hidden on a little street in back of Avenue Montaigne with its couturier shops and luxury apartment buildings, it is not an address for anyone seeking to call attention to themselves.  So Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan might well prefer to look elsewhere.

Brenda nursing a coffee at the St. Regis

  
Candice Bergen, who like Jane Fonda, lived and acted with success in French movies at the beginning of her career, has often resided at the San Regis.  As have Lauren Bacall and Leslie Caron.   
                                                                                
Originally constructed as a private mansion in 1857, it was transformed in 1923 by the then-owner of the famed restaurant La Tour d’Argent.  Today you get very much the feeling of being in a luxurious country home. 

Partial view of San Regis' intimate restaurant and tearoom

 
Restaurant chef Christophe Lecricolais offers a daily luncheon menu which we recently tried with pleasure.  If less spectacular from a culinary point of view than the Prince de Galles, the hotel’s restaurant is so aesthetically entrancing, snuggled inside its glass ceiling conservatory, that it is worth the visit just for that.   A viable alternative would be to stop by at teatime.  

Lorna passing through the San Regis

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The Table du Lancaster is probably the best known of these three luncheon venues. Having already garnered a well-deserved star in the Michelin guide, this intimate dining room is a considerable success and is often fully booked.    

Special presentation of its luncheon menu

Originally the private mansion of a Spanish millionaire, built in 1889, The Lancaster was transformed into an art-deco hotel in 1930.  It was a favorite of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton when each were filming in Paris in the late sixties.  Decades earlier,  it served as the frequent Paris address of both Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo.

Sitting room at The Lancaster

The Lancaster, which tags itself Paris' "intimate palace",  has in recent years had to cope with the declining prestige of its once grand Champs-Elysees neighborhood address.  The world famous avenue still shines with glamor on travel brochures and in many tourists' memories, but in reality it has gone through some pretty rough times, with less and less discerning shops and cafes, and gangs of revelers and druggies often taking over late at  night. 

The newly redone Lancaster bar, opening onto a summer garden patio

 The municipality of Paris has, however, recently poured considerable money into enhancing the avenue and beefing up police protection in a mostly successful effort to put back some of its lost luster.  The Lancaster, which is not directly on the avenue, but a few steps toward a more tranquil neighborhood, has at the same time poured millions into its hotel, maintaining and improving its image to the point that today it stands again as the equal of most of the city's grand hotels.
 

Raspberry dessert at The Lancaster

The Table du Lancaster has the extra advantage of setting up tables in its elegant outdoor garden in the summertime.

 We sampled their weekday lunch menu (45 euros for three courses) last month, and found it impressive.  I am not talking about an economical quick bite at midday, but a really fine gourmet meal to remember, and as such, this is one of Paris' best value for money. 

        

La Table du Lancaster with garden (seen through window) tranformed into winter terrace

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  [Photos are mine, unless otherwise credited]